Disney
Disney is reportedly gearing up for production on a new Pirates of the Caribbean movie. While nothing has been confirmed, rumors indicate that Johnny Depp will return as his iconic character of Captain Jack Sparrow in the film.
A new Pirates of the Caribbean has been in the works for years, with reports on Margot Robbie being involved in a reboot of the franchise at one stage. Following Johnny Depp’s legal victory in his defamation trial against Amber Heard, however, rumors began swelling that he could return to the multi-billion-dollar franchise he helped launch.
According to a new rumor from The DisInsider, the Mouse House is “gearing up to begin production” at a Hollywood sound stage.
“One source tells us that Walt Disney Studios is quietly gearing up to begin production on the next installment of the series at one Hollywood sound stage. Although there is no timeline for when production will officially begin, we have heard that this entry will feature the return of Depp.” [via The DisInsider]
This latest update tracks with a report from December 2024 which stated that franchise producer Jerry Bruckheimer was developing two different scripts: one that involved the return of Depp’s Jack Sparrow and one that did not.
“Nothing has been ruled out,” a source told Variety at the time.
The most recent film in the franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, was released in 2017 and was the worst-reviewed film int he franchise and the second lowest-grossing behind the original.
Depp, 61 years old, has not appeared in a major Hollywood production since 2018, when he starred in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Depp has recently signed on to star in his first major Hollywood project since then, however, as he’s set to star in the action thriller Day Drinker alongside Madelyn Cline at Lionsgate.